mommy-hood

New Year’s Day is always an exciting day! It is a day that brings new adventures. It is a day that allows us to look forward to change. It is a day that opens the door to new goals and dreams. So as we ring in the new year, let’s give thanks for all of our blessings!

For my family, we say goodbye to a year full of wonderful memories & exciting changes, and we say hello to a new year that promises to be adventurous and joyous as we continue in our journey as a family of 5!

We are so excited to celebrate new beginnings… HELLO 2019!

Dear December 2018,

You were the best!!! Christmas time is always the best time, but now that we are a family of 5… Everything was better than ever! We filled the month with family holiday functions and made sure the girls knew the real reason for the season – Jesus – Love came down! From live nativities to Santa, we did it all and made so many wonderful memories along the way. The best part of the month had to be our first Christmas Vacation and it was one we will never forget. Getting away to cold weather and indulging in Christmas spirit made this Christmas season our best yet! And it was so much fun watching Kensie enjoy her first Christmas! Thank you December 2018 for a month we adored.

We are so excited for 2019 and a new January of family-fun!

:: Our Month in 9 Squares – December 2018 ::

Dear November 2018,

What a great month!

You were a month filled with gratefulness, thankfulness, and the reminder of kindness. November, we filled you up with great moments and treasured times… Mainly Kensie’s first cross-country adventure and our hubby/wife trip to Washington D.C. DC was beyond words – FABULOUS! We also celebrated daddy’s birthday, Thanksgiving, our first girl-only STAYcation slumber party and Christmas came early this year with decorating the house and setting up the tree.

November you were good to us, but we are so excited for Christmas and the holiday month of December! Bring on Jesus’ BIRTHDAY!!!

:: Our Month in 9 Squares – November 2018 ::

Dear October 2018,

You are always a month filled with PUMPKIN everything! This month we enjoyed the pumpkin patch, plenty of pumpkin spice, carving pumpkins, lots of candy corn, creative costumes, a fall festival and Kensie’s 1st Halloween!
Thank goodness the temperature has cooled down, it actually felt like fall for a few days this month with the added bonus of rain.
Soccer season has also kicked-in which is always a favorite around here, so we are excited for more sports-filled Saturdays.

But of course, November we are grateful for your arrival… Bring on the feast!

:: Our Month in 9 Squares – October 2018 ::

Yet again, this year I decided to let the girls pick costumes that resemble their personalities. My girls are the epitome of opposites, one is a perfectionist that likes pretty and sparkly things and the other likes to be goofy and silly most of the time. So their costume choices this year did not come as a surprise to me.

When my oldest daughter, Paisley, was 4 months old, I got this crazy idea to take photos of her in a tub of candy corn. Don’t ask, I have no idea!… But to this day, those photos definitely have a “sweet” spot in my heart. So of course, I had to reenact this photo-shoot with Payton, when she was 7 months old and yet again for Kensie who is now 6 months old. Each photo shoot has it’s own personalized touch, and it is so much fun to see their “sweet” personalities shine through.

One thing I learned through the years of doing this photo shoot is that the older the baby, the “sweeter” their sweet tooth! At 7 months old, Payton already had a desire for all things yummy and we had a heck of a time keeping the candy out of her mouth, where Paisley and Kensie just thought they were surrounded by toys to play with.

Without further ado, enjoy these SCRUMPTIOUSLY ADORABLE photos! Continue Reading

Over the last few months I’ve been blessed with more time to read due to cuddling a newborn! I decided to soak up some of our snuggles with tunes on in the background (John Mayer + James Morrison on Pandora) and cozying up with a good book. And in doing so, I have been blessed greatly by quiet time and books that have taken me along for journeys, life stories, laughter, tears and adventures.

6 of my favorite Recent Reads

Dear September 2018,

You were a great month! We went on a few day trips, and our first family of 5 camping trip! The happiest camper was ironically the baby! The girls have enjoyed their first quarter of school, learning new things and sharing in special moments! Payton especially loved riding in a fire truck!
Fall festivities have begun, including our favorite – football! September has also kicked off the fall season with a little pumpkin spice, and now let’s get a move on to October and cooler temps!

:: Our Month in 9 Squares – September 2018 ::

Dear August 2018,

You were a busy month and truthfully, I am glad you are over…. only because we are now one month closer to cooler weather. I am ready for all things fall – football, cooler weather, pumpkin spice season… LET’S GO! Good bye August!

September, we are welcoming you with open arms!

:: Our Month in 9 Squares – August 2018 ::

Dear July 2018,

WOW doesn’t even cover it, what a month! You were a month of FIRSTS and very special occasions. First day of first grade, first day of preschool, and Kensie’s first swim, staycation & Diamondbacks Game! We had a 6th birthday, baby girl turned 3 months old, and we made our first trip to the mountains as a family of five! It was definitely one of my favorite months for our family, mainly because we made the most of every moment. Yay for family time!

August, you have very large shoes to fill! We are excited to see where this new school year takes us!